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How To Tell If Someone Is Snorting Cocaine – Signs Of Cocaine Use

Snorting cocaine is extremely addictive. Cocaine is a powerful and seductive stimulant. It accelerates your whole mind and body. It can make you feel full of energy, happy, excited, and on top of the world. It can make you feel invincible, like you can do almost anything. It can accelerate major sexual urges as well. Users have major mood swings from euphoria to paranoid, angry, nervous and afraid.

After the “high” of the cocaine wears off, a user will seriously “crash” and feel tired and sad. At some point the cravings to do more comes on to get that adrenaline “rush”, and feel good again.

Cocaine puts someone on an emotional roller coaster that’s very difficult to control

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant. It is extracted from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which grows primarily in Peru and Bolivia. It can be snorted up the nose or mixed with water and injected with a needle. It is generally sold on the street as a fine, white, crystalline powder.

How To Tell If Someone Is on Coke – How To Spot A Coke Addict

Using cocaine makes a person very excited, euphoric and full of energy. That is one of the more obvious signs they are using cocaine. Most people “snort” cocaine, up their nose. If they are “shooting” up, then obviously marks on their arms, or other area with big veins. Look for signs of of a lot of sniffling and sneezing, nasal congestion and other nose related issues.

1) Curled up dollar bills
This drug is done primarily by snorting up the nose, often using a rolled up dollar bill. Bills are always handy and make the perfect vehicle. Another delivery system is a plastic straw, cut in half. Both “curly” bills or some other cylindrical device are serious giveaways of use. Look for possible white residue on a bill too.

2) Bloodshot eyes
Snorting it takes a heavy toll on the sinus cavities and the eyeballs. Users often stay up late, sometimes all night. Eye drops are used to try and disguise bloodshot eyes. Carrying and or regular use of any eyes whitening liquid is a clear indication of drug use.

4) Having the “sniffles” a lot
This one can be tricky, using the drug takes a heavy toll on the sinus cavities causing the nose to run and drip like if they had a cold. Look for signs similar to allergies.

5) Carrying around a lot of cash
Buying the drug is always a cash transaction. It is a very expensive habit, costing hundreds of dollars per gram. If someone is always carrying and spending large amounts of cash, for no other apparent reason, it’s a good sign they might using this drug.

6) “Disappearing” for no apparent reason
In order to use it, privacy is required. Pulling the old “disappearing act” gets a few minutes to do it. Bathrooms are the #1 locale. Obtaining more of the drug is a time-consuming and effort, including “secret” phone calls to the dealer.

7) Nervous, restless, anxious
The drug is a very powerful stimulant. Nervousness is one of the side effects of use.

8) Paranoia and suspiciousness
A deep seated fear just goes with the territory

9) Major Mood Swings
The stimulating effect of the drug causes most users to go from elation to despondency and depression. Rarely are they in a “normal” state of mind. It could be construed as “manic” type of behavior.

10) White powder reside inside the nose
This drug is always a white powdery substance form. Snorting it inevitably leaves some residue, usually along the inside the nostrils.

Signs Of Cocaine Use

Here’s the method in the “ritual” of snorting a “line” of cocaine. There are 3 “tools” used in the act of snorting cocaine. Finding any 1 of these is a sure-fire “telltale sign” cocaine is being snorted.

razor blades or credit cards, used to create “lines”

tubes, such as a straw or rolled up dollar bill

small mirrors or other hard surface

Cocaine is usually kept in a vile or tightly folded up waxed paper. Snorting cocaine is always done on a hard, usually reflective surface, most often as a mirror. It is “chopped” with the razor blade, “cut” into “lines” and then snorted with short tube. The tube could be metal as well. It often burns as the cocaine and whatever else it was “diluted with hits the membrane in the upper nasal passages.

Dangers and Risks Of Snorting Cocaine

No matter how the drug is taken, it is dangerous. Some of the most common serious problems include heart attack and stroke. There is a risk for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, from sharing needles or having unsafe sex. It is more dangerous when combined with other drugs or alcohol.

It is easy to lose control over the amount being used and become addicted. Then, even if you get treatment, it can be hard to stay off the drug. People who stopped using can still feel strong cravings for the drug, years later.

What Cocaine Dealers Do

Dealers generally dilute it with such inert substances as cornstarch, talcum powder, and/or sugar, or with such active drugs as procaine (a chemically related local anesthetic) or with such other stimulants as amphetamines.

Snorting Cocaine – Legally Speaking

Legally using, possession and snorting cocaine is a Schedule II drug, meaning that it has high potential for abuse.

Crack Cocaine

It can also be made into small white rocks, called crack. “Crack” is smoked in a small glass pipe, and gets its name from the “crackling” noise it makes when ignited.

Street Names

It might be helpful to know some of the street names for cocaine. Street names include:

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Robert M. has been in recovery since 1988. He is a sponsor and loyal member of AA. He has been working in the drug and alcohol field for nearly 20 years. During that time, he has written industry blogs and articles for a variety of industry websites including Transitions, Malibu Horizons, Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches and Lifeskills of Boca Raton.

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